The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-12-10
woRSHlPINo THE DEVIL.
Hideous Beliefs, Rites and Rituals of the
Hindustanese.

Hindustanese.
In no part of the world at the present
is the belief in demonology. or devil
lore, apd witchcraft so widely prevalent
as among the native population of Eng
lands Eastern Empire. Through the
length and breadth of Hiadustan wor-
shippers of the devil are to be found.
forming numerous sects, whose doc
trines are essentially similar. whether
they inhabit the Coromandel coast. the
Highlands of Central India or the
borders of Afghanistan. Between these
widely divergent points Of the great
Indian Peninsula there can not have
been for ages, if there ever had been,
much intercommunication Of the peo-
pie, who are in many instances ethno-
logically different and speak a language
entirely foreign to each other
The fundamental doctrine of the
devil worshipers' creed, "a gathered by
the writer in conversation with MEN,
bers OF the sect in various parts of Hin
dustan, is that it is improper. if not
actually blasphemous. for human be-
ings to offer prayer or sacrifice to pro-
pitiate divinity whose merciful and
forgiving benignity is inconceivably
beyond all his other attributes. and
who could not, even if he would. do
aught that is inimical to the present or
future happiness. spirital or material.
Of beings created after his own image
and loved with an undying and inn
measurable love. With all the sub
tlety of thought and illogical mental
cunning incidental to the Oriental in
tellect. they will expound in verbose
and highly Imaginative language the
grounds on which a-e based the reason
ings that warrant belief in their creed.
To the devil, as the omnipotent inear-
nation OF evil, they attribute essentials
which are plausibly advanced to give
color TO the doctrines Of their sect.
Shaitan, as Satan is named in Hindus-
tan. is, according to his worshipers,
Unfortunately cgotistical. and they, with
the hope of gaining his good favor in
their behalf, fatter him by the most
elaborate ceremonials and fervid pray
ers, conducted with all the surround.
ings incidental to Eastern pageantries.
religious and otherwise.
The ritual of devil-worship. as well
rs the tenets Of the creed. modify con.
siderably, according to the varying
ondtions-climatica and geographical
which obtain from the perpetually
snow-clad HimalayasOto the torrc
regions of Cape Comorin and along t.
the equatorial line. The doctrine o
devil-worship is not confined to the low
or illiterate classes of the people. /
prevails more or less extensively among
those oriental intellectual dreamers wht
read the institutes of Manu- in thu
original and discuss abstruse theolog
ical and metaphysical theories in San
scrit. To the mind of the willy Hindo'
and the bodily effeminate, but mental,
active followers Of the Prophet, occul
teachings of the most visionary schoo
have always had an irresistible fascina
ton and the spread of European civil
ization and the Introduction OF tn
| GnGilSH cuuCdbiOn0l hh' ~
creased rather than diminished tn
Oriental fondness for semi-comatos
speculation in the realms of religion
thought.
Witchcraft also predominates to a
extraordinary extent among the igne
rant classes, which means nineteenth
of the population, and the entire socia
life both of Hindoos and Mussulman
in the mofussel or country districts
strongly impregnated with the doc
trines. of devil worship and belief i
witches and witchlore and all the 81
perstitions which surround the recol
nized profession Of the black art. Ne'
romancers and adopts in divinatio
are numerous, and their persons al
held as sacred and their supernatur;
powers are acknowledged by the pei
pie as if they were recognized teacher
of the religion Of Brahma or Mollah
expounding the laws of the Koran.
Cor. San Francisco Examiner.